IH: Your new single, “Broken Heart” is about struggles as an all-encompassing human experience. Has the song and its lyrics taken on new meaning in the wake of the current crisis?
KC: The song is mostly about the light on the other side of shame and insecurity, and acknowledging that we all battle with those emotions. You would think that quarantine would be a break from the external pressures to perform and put a face on for the world, but I think the loneliness of quarantine can also be really dangerous in a way. Those voices of shame and those experiences of heartbreak have the time to close in around people who are struggling with the voices in their head, and a lot of people are experiencing loss due to the virus. I definitely struggle with shame and insecurity and it is hard not to have my community around me to dance and talk and laugh and work! But, releasing this song was a good reminder, even to myself, that shame is a garbage monster and all you can do is your best. If you only have 50% of yourself to call upon on any given day, use 100% of that 50 to celebrate your life. Have a dance in the mirror, throw on some lingerie, sext your apocolyptic pen pal unto the wee morning hours and remind yourself you’re strong.
IH: What would your words of advice be to someone who has recently had their heart broken?
KC: I don’t know if this is healthy but it’s been my tried and true. Be compassionate toward your heart breaker but GTFO. Make art. Kiss somebody new.
IH: The song is co-written with John Martin – tell us a little about your artistic relationship and the process of co-writing a track.
KC: I got to write with John Martin and Michel Zitron in Sweden. Their studio was swagged out with pop accents like a tiger print rug, a white couch, a neon flamingo. Shit was vibey. They are two sessy boys clad in leather and fancy sweats and at least two of us in the room were wearing one cross on one ear. From jump, it was a hype room where Michel was bopping and adding to the track while me and John got the chords right on guitar until I disappeared to write this chorus – lyrics and all in like 10 minutes. Verses came really quickly too and I laid it down. The vocal you hear on the track is almost 100% from that day. We wrote a whole ‘nother song, played them loud, jumped around, and then went for beers. Those boys are my bros and I miss them very much. More songs from us to come, for sure.